The present invention relates to an interconnector of a novel structure or, more particularly, to a so-called press-contact type interconnector which can be of a relatively large size and suitable for electrically connecting a couple of relatively large printed circuit boards each with a plurality of contact terminals or electrically connecting a relatively large display unit and a printed circuit board with a driving circuit for the display unit built therein to be used as sandwiched between these printed circuit boards or between the display unit and the printed circuit board with an appropriate contacting pressure.
There have been known several types of the interconnectors used as described above. For example, an interconnector is formed by providing ring-wise electroconductive portions around a cylindrical body of an insulating material at a regular pitch (see, for example, Japanese KOKAI No. 50112785) and another is ribbon-like sheet or film formed by assembling electroconductive layers and insulating layers alternately into integrity (see, for example, Japanese KOKAI No. 50-94495). Further, variations of interconnectors are known in which a plurality of electroconductive members are provided on the lateral surface of an insulating member at regular intervals (see, for example, Japanese KOKAI No. 51142689) or filaments of an electroconductive material penetrate a sheet of an insulating material in the direction of the thickness (see, for example Japanese KOKAI No. 52-65892).
A problem in the above described prior art interconnectors is that, in order to obtain very reliable electric connection therewith, a large compressive load is required per unit length or unit area thereof so that the structure for holding the interconnector must be so strong as to be able to withstand the large compressive force between the interconnector and the units to be electrically connected therewith. This problem is more and more difficult as the number of the contact terminals increases or as the size of the contact terminals grows. Furthermore, the condition of contacting cannot be well balanced in the actual mounting when the units to be connected have relatively large dimensions and, consequently, the structure for holding the interconnector is necessarily large and complicated to such an extent that the size of the units to be connected is undesirably limited.
On the other hand, an attempt has been made for decreasing the compressive load in the interconnectors of the type in which a plurality of conductive members are provided on the lateral surface of a belt-like insulating material by having a smaller width of the conductive members being contacted with the units to be connected. This attempt is unsuccessful because of the inconvenience in handling, especially, when the length of the interconnector is large.
Furthermore, an interconnector is known in which a plurality of conductive layers are provided around a hollow tube of a flexible and insulating material at a regular pitch (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Kokai No. 53-11571), with which the compressive load can be considerably decreased. The interconnectors of this type are defective because their contacting surface is uneven due to the buckling of the hollow tube when in contact under pressure with the units to be connected. This leads to decreased connection reliability.